Slatwall displays are often used in the retail merchandise industry to display retail merchandise. A typical slatwall has an array of slats or flat surfaces separated by adjacent channels. A wide variety of retail merchandise support structures may be affixed to a slatwall display via these channels. Typically, a given retail merchandise support structure will be adapted to lock into the slatwall by having mounting features that correspond to the channels, and a backing feature that rests against the horizontal slat between adjacent channels. Prior to installation of the retail merchandise support structures, the slatwall may be painted or fabricated from a colored material to assist in the aesthetic display of retail merchandise contained in the later installed retail merchandise support structures. Several embodiments of slatwalls are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,578 to Fishman, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,846 to Lamb.
Over time, as the retail merchandise support structures are installed and uninstalled from the slatwalls, the slats and the channels of the slatwall tend to become damaged or marred from repeated engagement by the mounting features of the retail merchandise support structures. Fortunately, the damage caused does not inhibit the functionality of the slatwalls, yet it is still not desirable to use the slatwalls once damaged for aesthetic reasons. The cost to replace an otherwise functional slatwall can be very high given that the construction of the slatwall is robust and incorporates a substantial amount of material and manufacturing time.
Moreover, once a particular slatwall has been painted or manufactured to be a certain color, it must be repainted or discarded when a new color is desired, such as during the holiday season. In order to repaint or change out the slatwall, one must remove all the retail merchandise support structures thereon. The time required for removal coupled with the time required for repainting can also become very costly.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for a way to cover and protect the slatwall, as well as way to quickly change the appearance of the slatwall without the high cost of repainting or discarding it for a new color. The invention disclosed herein provides such a solution. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.